Philadelphia Phillies Release Three-Time All-Star After His Immense Struggles

The Philadelphia Phillies have decided to move on from their offseason acquisition after he never got going on offense.

Jul 7, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Whit Merrifield (9) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

During this past offseason for the Philadelphia Phillies, they didn't accomplish a whole lot when it came to making additions to their roster.

Instead, they focused on bringing back Aaron Nola after he hit the open market and locking Zack Wheeler in with an extension so that he wouldn't become a free agent following this year.

With their team as stacked as it was, there wasn't a huge need for Dave Dombrowski and his front office to pursue massive upgrades. But, with depth being something every contending team is searching for, they brought in three-time All-Star Whit Merrifield to be their super utilityman.

On paper, this made sense.

The veteran was coming off an All-Star selection with the Toronto Blue Jays last season and would bring a level of hitting and defensive versatility to this clubhouse that would benefit the Phillies greatly in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, things haven't worked out as expected.

Merrifield has not been able to get things going at the plate, slashing .199/.277/.295 with just three homers, eight extra-base hits and 11 RBI through his 53 games. He also has posted a horrendous OPS+ of 63 that is 37 percentage points below the league average.

Now, three games before the All-Star break, the Phillies have decided to move on.

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Philadelphia has released Merrifield and called up Weston Wilson to take his spot on the roster.

This is a major announcement as it was expected the veteran would be part of this team throughout the entire season no matter how poorly he performed because of the $8 million contract he signed this offseason.

But, they seemingly felt like the 35-year-old would not be able to turn things around and it would be better to move on from him right now as opposed to waiting any further.

Merrifield's release could also signal that another outfield move is imminent with rumors swirling that the Phillies already know who they are looking to bring in before the trade deadline.

That's all speculation, though.

What is known is that Merrifield is no longer on this team following his release and Wilson will be taking his place before the All-Star festivities begin.